President:
Tom Mayka - W3TRM 

Vice-president:
Rich Abromowitz - KC3TLC

Secretary:
Rick Rinehimer - K3TOW 

Treasurer:
Herb Krumich K2LNS

Board of Directors:
Elaine Kolar - K3VQR
Phil Galasso - K2PG
John Diliberto - AB3ZI
 George Miklosi - K3ZK
Jonathan Rizzo - KC3EEY

Newsletter
Editor:

Elaine Kollar K3VQR 

Webmaster & Public Information Officer
Rick Rinehimer K3TOW
 www.murgasarc.org

murgasarc @ gmail.com

Quartermaster: 
George Miklosi K3ZK

Technical Specialist:
Phil Galasso K2PG 

QSL Manager:
Liam McGovern KC3UII

Net Manager:
George Miklosi K3ZK

Librarian:
Ian Kellman K3IK

Club Stations – K3YTL & K3JML

Trustees: George Miklosi K3ZK & Elaine Kollar K3VQR

Club Repeater   K3YTL/R

145.450 Tone – 82.5

MARC NET

Every Thursday 9pm

Club Repeater 

145.450/PL 82.5

MARC Net Check-in Contest Rules

About our Group

The Murgas ARC normally meets monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00pm. at the Luzerne County Emergency Management Building, 185 Water Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Guests are always welcome. The meeting usually features an informative program on a radio related topic after a brief business meeting.  Please check the current issue of the MARC Times or our Groups.io and Facebook pages for updated meeting information.  Get a map to the meeting here. 
Due to COVID Restrictions, our meetings may temporarily be held via teleconference.  Current information on k3ytl.groups.io

Club event Talk-in on 146.610 (Tx-) (PL  82.5) or 145.450 (TX-) (PL 82.5) or 449.825 (Tx-) (Pl 82.5)

The Murgas Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Special Service Club. The Club participates in several operating events during the year and members provide communications support for several local non -profit organizations. Our members are always ready to provide emergency communications in conjunction with the Luzerne County Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Many members hold ARRL appointments involving emergency communications.

"Contest Contest DE K3YTL - Kilowatt  Three Yellow Traffic Light calling!"  You will also hear K3YTL on the air during Field Day and during the Pennsylvania QSO Party in October.  The Murgas Amateur Radio Club has won the trophy for  highest scoring club in the  PA QSO party several times!    K3YTL is also active on the HF bands, members taking turns operating from their home stations with the Club call on all modes and bands.  "QRZ?"

Our club members are active in the June and September VHF contests, most DX, stateside and digital contests.  Several Murgas members  also did well in the 2014 ARRL Centennial Challenge.

The club also has an active ARRL VE Team, Exams are scheduled and announced as the VE team sees a need.  An exam session is also held at our Hamfest in early July.

The club repeater, K3YTL on 145.450  (TX-) (PL 82.5 ) covers the Wyoming Valley and surrounding areas.  The weekly Murgas Net meets every Thursday night ot 9:00PM local on '45.  A "Swap and Shop" session follows the net.

The Club sponsors  a network of APRS Digipeaters in Northeastern Pennsylvania using the call W3NEP and K3JML.  These Digis were established by Mike Navin N3FJA (SK).

The Murgas ARC is proud to sponsor a yearly scholarship awarded to an college student/amateur.  The scholarship is administered by The Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR).

In April 2022, The Murgas Amateur Radio Club, NASA, The University of Scranton and Misericordia University cooperated to bring NASA Astronaut Colonel Doug Wheelock - KF5BOC to our area for 2 informative and entertaining presentations. 
  The presentations can be viewed on the Murgas ARC YouTube Channel     WNEP-TV's Meterologist John Hickey interview of Col. Wheelock

The MARC Times, our monthly newsletter is edited by (Volunteer position currently unfilled).

Articles for publication may be submitted to the club's mailing address or to  marctimes@murgasarc.org via e-mail.

The trustee of our Club license and Net Manager is George Miklosi K3ZK.

Our Volunteer Examination Coordinator is Rick Rinehimer, K3TOW. 

Our QSL Manager is Liam McGovern KC3UII.  

Our Parlimentarian is Rich Tyira KC3FKW.  

Our Librarian is Ian Kellman K3IK.  

Club Technical Specialist is Phil Galasso K2PG.  

Club historian is Elaine Kollar, K3VQR. 

Club Webmaster and Public Information Officer is Rick Rinehimer, K3TOW.

Murgas ARC "Ham of the Year"
Every year the members of the club nominate a fellow member for "Ham of the Year".  The nominations are then debated by officers and the Board of Directors at the November BOD Meeting.  The award is presented at the Murgas Holiday Dinner in December.  Follow the link for a list of past "Ham of the Year" Honorees.
List of Murgas Amateur Radio "Ham of the Year" Honorees

Murgas ARC History

The Club is named after Father Joseph (Josef) Murgas, a Slovak priest who was an early communications pioneer. His first experimental broadcast from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton, Pennsylvania took place on April 27, 1905. Although others had previously succeeded in transmitting over water, Murgas was first to successfully transmit over land.  Murgas also developed a tone system for use in radio transmission.  Father Murgas' transmitting towers in Wilkes-Barre are pictured on our club's QSL Card as well as the cards of several of our members.  Father Murgas' accomplishments have been recognized by The Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1987 House Resolution 25.

Watch a video presentation on the early days of the Murgas ARC

Was Josef Murgas the "Father of Radio"?  Check these links and decide for yourself.

Information on Father Joseph Murgas, Radio Pioneer from a student project at Wyoming Valley West High School (link may be down)

Murgas Information at the United States Early Radio Web Site  or    Early Radio History

Explore PA History Web Site     Electrical World and Engineer , July 11, 1905    Arcane Radio Trivia Site   Monoskop

Info on Murgas from the Slovak Catholic Foundation      Wikipedia entry on Murgas    Penn State    

Information on Father Murgas Burial Place   Reverend Josef Murgaš - ourhistoryinitiative.org 

Murgas Room at King's College in Wilkes-Barre

A book on Father Murgas "Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great Scientists: Joseph Murgas" written by Joseph Weber

The callsign K3YTL was originally issued to founding member J. Campbell Collins.  In 2006, the Club added in memoriam, the call of one of our groups founding members - Carl Kollar, K3JML to honor his years of dedication and service to the Club.  Plans are to use this call for contesting and special event stations.   

Our members are very active in the hobby with such diverse interests as Contesting, DX, Amateur Satellites, EME, Amateur Television, Weak Signal VHF/Microwave, QRP,  Local Repeaters, Packet Radio, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Traffic Nets, and much more.

  Murgas members in the media spotlight!  

Click on the QSL Card to e-mail The Murgas ARC Groups.io group.